SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Every team engine runs on the fuel of a fitness trainer and a physiotherapist.

Kimberly Foster and Vanessa Rhule are tasked with fuelling the Under-17 Reggae Girlz team during the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) championships.

The team is currently on the cusp of securing one of three spots to the CONCACAF round in Grenada in February, from where they will bid for a spot to the FIFA Women’s Under-17 World Cup in Jordan 2016.

Both Foster and Rhule were travelling with a national team for the first time, and are relishing the experience of working with the young Reggae Girlz.

Foster, 24, was introduced to the programme by fitness coach William Hitzelberger, after graduating from Rollins College in Orlando, where Hitzelberger coached her for four years.

“I have heard of them just being in the soccer world, but when Will (Hitzelberger) started to get involved and some of them came to our facility and that is when I got introduced to the Jamaican soccer team.

“I am really enjoying it; the girls are getting more comfortable with me and vice versa. For the first two days we had like an introduction period and when we got things going they started to trust me and they share things with me, so we have a good relationship,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

The Kinesiology Exercise Physiology undergrad student at University of Virginia has been leading a firm recovery sessions built around “dynamic” stretching exercises to rejuvenate muscles.

The recovery process also includes a combination of pool sessions and ice baths which are aimed at flushing out the lactic acid to give off a better feeling in the players’ legs.

The young Reggae Girlz contested three games over a five-day period where they finished atop Group A on seven points after two wins and a draw.

“Fitness-wise, I think some of them could be fitter, but that is something that should have been addressed before. Now, it is just about recovering…. making sure that they feel their best each game, so I think so far is good and I would like to get them into camp at some point and work with them again,” said Foster.

“I think they have a good chance, but we need to just take it one game at a time and we need to see how we recover. That is going to be the biggest thing — this is their first time as a team together and if things connect as they should I think they have a good chance, but each game tells a different story,” she added.

Rhule, 27, who achieved her bachelor of science in physical therapy at University of the West Indies (UWI) and a Doctorate degree at UTICA College in New York, shared a similar sentiment.

“It is my first time travelling with them, but I have worked with them in the past. It is a great experience but it requires me to be on my toes at all times to provide services to them both on and off the field,” she explained.

With Tarania Clarke and Nerisa Distant currently nursing injuries and the team still nowhere close to full fitness, Rhule has been kept busy.

“So far, there is one injury that I think will take some time to heal; I think she (Clarke) has a minor tear in her calf muscle. Everybody else is fine so far, just some minor injuries because they haven’t been in check after the last tournament so they are carrying over chronic injuries from then.

“But based on where they are now I think they should be able to hold out for the next two games. The coaches have been doing a good job as it relates to them resting and their nutrition, so there is not much concern there and I intend to follow up with them after the tournament,” she noted.

They are scheduled to meet Group B runner-up Trinidad & Tobago in one semi-final today at Estadio Juan Ramon Loubriel at 4:30 pm (3:30 pm Jamaica time), while Haiti and Cuba will contest the other at 7:00 pm.